Most political leaders failed in one way or another in 2021

No political leader can look back on 2021 with any degree of satisfaction. There were too many failures, too many bad judgments and too many signs that their political fortunes are heading for reverse. The possible exception is Vladimir Putin who somehow manages to look and sound as if he is in total control of his master plan for himself and for his country. He has thrown down the gauntlet to Joe Biden over Ukraine and Nato's eaternwards expansion and clearly believes his ultimatums are going to bear fruit. We shall see. But Biden has suffered many setbacks during 2021, not least his failure (not really his fault) to defeat Covid as he promised he would because of the dramatic appearance of the Omicron variant. Then there's his failure to persuade an obstructive Senator Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, to back his Build Back Better $2 trillion legislation and thus saw the end of the year pass by without a deal. There are also rumblings about 2024 and whetherhe will be capable, physically and mentally, to do another four years in the White House. As for Boris Johnson he has had such mixed fortunes and misfortunes that it's a wonder he is still in charge at all. But it's possible that things are beginning to look up. He stuck his neck out and refused to impose new liberty restrictions on the English - and the Scottish who flocked in coaches over the border to drink in English bars on New Year's Eve. The signs so far are that he may have got away with it. There have been masses of Omicron infections over the period but not a big jump in deaths and hospitalisations. It's still touch-and-go whether his judgment will be proved sound but he must be desperately hoping that 2022 will revive his popularity ratings. But all in all 2021 was very bad for him. President Macron also had a bad year. All his nonsense about the boatloads of migrants leaving French beaches, claiming the French police were doing everything to stop them when it was patently obvious they did the opposite, and the French leader trying to stop the Brits from coming anywhere near France because of Covid. His political fortunes took a very definite turn for the worse with right wing extremism looking healthier every day. Other leaders around the world battled away to try and save their countries from Covid but never quite seemed to find the right formula. So let us hope that in 2022 political leaders get the balance right between freedom and common sense restrictions until Covid in whatever form is finally sent packing.